Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the blessings in our lives. In today’s post I want to focus on family, friends, and purpose.

Family

Family shapes us in so many ways. I am the youngest of three children. Both parents were college educated. Dad grew up an only child and followed his father into the family business after he contracted polio which put an end to his dreams of working outdoors in the forestry industry.

Mom married young, had a son and was a widow by the age of 20. She attended college, received her teaching certificate and supported herself and young son on a teacher’s salary until she remarried. In those days, families could survive on a single income. Mom became a full time homemaker and soon had two little girls.

Dad is gone now, Mom lives in an assisted living facility. I am grateful for all they gave me: a stable home, a loving family, and the confidence to follow my dreams. Without their support, I could easily have ignored my itch to write.

Friends

The saying goes: you can’t pick your family. While I wouldn’t trade mine, I have come to depend on friends for day to day support. In a way, friends have become family for me. Both my brother and sister live far away, each consumed by their own lives. My friends are there to lend a sympathetic ear when needed or a clear-eyed assessment when I grapple with a personal problem. They also offer encouragement and cheer me on when I am on the brink of success.

I am thankful for friends. They form my social circle. There’s the group of ladies I meet with monthly, writing friends, and friends from each activity: pickleball, tai chi, and line dance.    

Purpose

I decided early on that I wanted to be a writer. I am thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to follow my passion.

In my youth I realized books were filled not only with stories, but also the wisdom of the world. Wise people poured their knowledge into books. And it was at my fingertips. I became a voracious reader and soaked up as much information as I could. My natural inclination toward analytical thinking, enhanced in part by my father the accountant, primed me to blend information in new and exciting ways. It allowed me to distill my thought process, to better understand my thinking and the motivation of others.

I was consumed by books of all kinds. There were the mystery years, where I read every mystery in the public library. I even considered becoming a mystery writer. During the paranormal phase, I leaned heavily into the power of the mind. Reading the classics in literature I learned about the human condition, and so on. Bit by bit, year by year I built a background perfectly suited to expressing myself with the written word. I started with letters to the editor of the local paper. I graduated to sharing views with school boards and congressmen. My letters have even made it to the White House.

In 2015 when I retired from a teaching career, I decided to scratch that writing itch. As I reflect this Thanksgiving season on my blessings, I recognize the role my family and friends play in this thing called writing that gives me purpose. Thank you all.

Take a moment this Thanksgiving to reflect on the forces that have encouraged you to fulfill your purpose.